A BRIEF HISTORY OF SEA MONKEYS​®

This article was originally posted on the badfads.com site

      Harold von Braunhut first came across the animal known as Artema nyos     (a close relative of the brine shrimp) in 1957. He noticed that a number of the shrimp appeared dead for weeks, mysteriously came back to life when introduced to water. 
      Von Braunhut saw a potential for offering the shrimp as pets to children which could be sold through the mail without any concern about the animals suffering due to lack of care and feeding. He introduced the shrimp to the public in 1960 in a package called “Instant Life".
      Distributed by Honey Toy Industries, it became a hit after being offered through mail order in comic book advertisements costing 49 cents. The product took off in 1962 when Von Braunhut referred to the shrimp as “Sea Monkeys®” and began a marketing campaign which trumpeted the magnificent capabilities of the aquatic miracles. He explained that they could perform tricks, could be trained to race each other, were easy to care for – a perfect pet for youngsters.
      Honey Toy, (renamed Transcience Corporation) had a huge hit on its hands and rushed Sea Monkeys® to anxious families across the United States. At this point, Transcience was being approached by toy companies anxious to sell the popular Sea Monkeys® kit. These same toy companies had previously laughed at von Braunhut a few short years ago. With a much larger distribution system now in place, Transcience began offering Sea Monkeys® accessories such as “The Deluxe Sea Monkey® Speedway”, “The Sea Monkey® Ski Trails” and “The Sea Monkey® Fox Hunt.” 
      Sea Monkeys® were strange characters, indeed, seemingly not like anything seen anywhere on earth but they were marketed s cute little amazing creatures that would bring joy an happiness to anyone who owned them. For more than forty years their many fans have attested to just such a suggestion.

Chaimberlain, Gaius. "Sea Monkeys." Blog post. The Badfads Museum. Adscape Intl, n.d. Web. 27 June 2017.

​You are about to begin a NEW amazing hobby that is so fantastic, it STAGGERS THE IMAGINATION! With only water and the “crystals” in your Sea-Monkey® kit, you will create INSTANT-LIFE®.